Meet the man behind the popular 'Grazing Guse' account in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, IL – If you're on a social media app, you may have seen the "Grazing Guse" posting about the food scene in central Illinois and in Springfield. The popular social media account has amassed close to 200,000 followers across Facebook , TikTok , Instagram and YouTube with over 1.8 million likes alone on TikToK. If you have never heard of the "Grazing Guse," you may have still seen the impact from the videos. The popular social media account's videos on The Lumpia House and Mel-O-Cream have both garnered close to or over one million views online. The Guse's video on the Twisted Pasta food truck during the Illinois State Fair helped lead to lines curve around Main Street. More: Two new food vendors share top prize at Illinois State Fair The man behind the account is Seth Ragusa, whose last name often led to him being called "Guse" as a kid and inspired the name of the account. The concept of the videos is a simple one: Ragusa samples food and then provides a rating for the food, something he didn't think was happening enough in Springfield. “Everybody else I ever saw videos (trying food) was Chicago, Chicago, Chicago,”

Hallmark Just Crowned the 2026 Merriest Christmas Town in America

Want to visit a place that looks plucked straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie? Head to Carlinville, Illinois. The sweet little 5,000-person (and some change) town was just crowned the winner of Hallmark Channel's inaugural Merriest Christmas Town contest. Earlier this year, the network put out the call: Which...

Edwardsville girl’s Halloween costume prompts invite from ‘The Rock’

A 10-year-old wrestler who dressed as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for Halloween has been invited by Johnson to a movie premiere in California.

Escape Into A Real-Life Bookworm’s Paradise Where Illinois Books Cost Less Than $20

There’s a teal-green building in Forsyth, Illinois, that has absolutely no business being as exciting as it is, and yet, here we are. The Old Book Barn is the kind of place that makes you question every life decision that led you to spend full price on books at a chain store, because for under twenty dollars, you can stuff an entire bag with used books and walk out feeling like you’ve cracked some kind of secret code.

Is The Lincoln Museum Gift Shop Worth A Trip On Its Own? Springfield Locals Say Yes

Some of the best stops in Illinois are the ones you almost walk right past. I went looking for a quick souvenir and left with a story, a handful of postcards, and a real urge to come back. The little shop I found felt less like a store and more...

8 Old-School Illinois Bowling Alleys Where Shoes, Lanes And Food Still Cost Like 1985

A bowling alley in Illinois started out as a 1911 garage, and it later became a filming location for Groundhog Day. Yes, the Bill Murray one, and I can’t stop smiling at that detail. Another spot rolls on 12 wood lanes beneath a historic theater. A third still keeps...

Illinois Students Help Turn Abandoned Barbershop into Museum Honoring the First Black Man to Vote in the State

David Strother, the barbershop’s original owner, became the first Black voter in Illinois after the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870

9 Illinois Restaurants So Unusual They Deserve Their Own Reality TV Shows

Somewhere in Illinois, your burger can roll up to your seat behind a toy U.S. Army locomotive. It travels on a tiny track, trailed by model cars and a Lego caboose. I still can’t decide if that’s adorable or genius. The train is only one oddball on this...

Quincy Gun Shop Turns 1,000-to-1,500-Pound Safes Into Wildlife Canvases Before Deer Season

Five Fort Knox gun safes at GameMasters in Quincy are getting a treatment you won't find in a typical sporting goods aisle: hand-painted murals of mallards, pheasants, coyotes, elk and a whitetail buck, applied safe by safe over several days just ahead of deer season. The man behind the brush is Ryan Kirby, a professional wildlife artist who has spent the week turning the shop's bulky metal boxes into one-of-a-kind pieces.

Edwardsville Veterans Day Parade returns Nov. 11

The Madison County procession features grand marshal Kimberli Goodner, a flyover, bands and a free American Legion Post 199 afterparty.

Free Santa Photos and the Historic Teller Room 1925 in Downtown Alton

Veterans Caring for Veterans golf tournament honors local veterans

“He was very proud of his service to the Navy, very proud that he went to Vietnam and served there,” John Phillips’ brother-in-law said. “And he was a brother.”

Beyond a box of rice

The most “St. Louis” scene from Eric “Remrod” Mayes’ documentary Half Order doesn’t even take place on this continent. A Northside expat who has lived in China for the better part of a decade daps up his favorite street food vendor and greets him in Chinese. He orders some rice and sings its praises. But he still stands on the notion that St. Louis Chinese food is better than any he has eaten in China.

This Missouri Gift Shop Is Packed With Hand-Painted Christmas Ornaments And Festive Collectibles

A tiny gold ornament shaped like Missouri’s first state capitol building sits on a shelf here, plated in 24K gold. That’s the kind of keepsake this little shop treats as normal. The shelves also hold hand-painted glass from Christopher Radko and Old World Christmas. I like how one...

Jodeci kicks off ‘Forever My Lady’ tour in St. Louis with appreciative fans

On Wednesday night at Stifel Theatre, St. Louis wasn’t judging Jodeci against their younger selves. The audience came to celebrate what they’ve meant for 35 years. Our city had the distinction of being the first stop on Jodeci’s tour commemorating the 35th anniversary of their genre-defining debut, Forever My Lady. The November 4 show launched a more than 30-city run that continues through January 2027.

Veterans Day ceremonies planned in Warren County

With Veterans Day approaching next week, several ceremonies and events are planned in Warren County in honor of America’s military service members. Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, was initially established to mark the end of major hostilities in World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, so Veterans Day ceremonies are typically held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.

St. Louis Public Library’s new CEO Jason Driver has no desire to shake things up

When Jason Driver comes on the job as CEO of St. Louis Public Library in January, he isn’t just replacing a well-respected leader, Waller McGuire, who ran the system for 22 years. He’s also taking over what was recently named the 2026 Missouri Library of the Year. The library system earned the accolade for how it bounced back after the tornado that hit St. Louis in 2025 and temporarily closed two of its branches, reestablishing itself as a community hub (it even opened a lending library for power tools to help neighbors who needed them).

St. Louis actor and comedian Guy Torry in town for two performances this weekend

In his 34 years in show business, St. Louis actor and comedian Guy Torry has performed “everywhere,” but never at an art museum — until now. “I don't want to overthink it. I still want to be me, but I still want to respect the space that I'm in and that crowd that comes,” he said. “It's kind of a dance.”